Celebrating National Estuaries Week

We’re celebrating Long Island Sound with a series of events all this week!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2014

SAVE THE SOUND CELEBRATES NATIONAL ESTUARIES WEEK

New Haven, Conn.—Save the Sound, a bi-state program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, is celebrating National Estuaries Week with a series of events in the Long Island Sound region.

“The Long Island Sound estuary is not only where freshwater rivers meet the saltwater Atlantic, but where wildlife habitat meets beaches and boating, and where modern industry meets traditional oystering,” said Curt Johnson, executive director of Save the Sound. “All over the country, estuaries are the lifeblood of coastal economies. From serving as natural buffers to protect our coastlines from storms to providing unique habitat for countless birds, fish, and wildlife, estuaries deserve our protection and our thanks.”

National Estuaries Week, sponsored by Restore America’s Estuaries and its affiliated member organizations including Save the Sound, celebrates estuaries through events including coastal cleanups, hikes, workshops, and hands-on guided explorations. The theme of the 2014 National Estuaries Week is how estuaries and the efforts to conserve them support our quality of life and economic well-being.

Coming up:

Save Plum Island Tour—Save the Sound staff and environmental officials including a representative of US EPA Region II will travel to Plum Island off the coast of Southold, NY, for a first-hand view of the island’s vulnerable natural resources, including several threatened and endangered species.

Friday, September 26

International Coastal Cleanup—Save the Sound is the Connecticut coordinator for Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, which brings together hundreds of thousands of volunteers worldwide. Save the Sound has organized 44 cleanups across the state in September and October; a complete list of public cleanups can be found at http://www.ctenvironment.org/get-involved/calendar.cfm.

Clinton Town Beach, Clinton, CT. Saturday, September 27 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Meet at the pavilion.

Bluff Point State Park, Depot Road, Groton, CT. Sunday, September 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Meet at the picnic tables near the parking lot.

Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound’s Annual Meeting—Aquatic filmmaker and oceanographic explorer Fabien Cousteau will present the keynote speech. CFE/Save the Sound will review goals for the coming year and present awards to the Westchester Community Foundation, the Trust for Public Land, and the Ridgefield Open Space Association for their extraordinary contributions to protecting our environment.

People’s Climate March—On Sunday, September 21, staff and board from CFE/Save the Sound attended the People’s Climate March in NYC, joining with over 400,000 others on the streets to demand international action on climate change. In our area, climate change will bring rising seas and stronger storms that damage property, agricultural effects, and health impacts from smog and tropical diseases.

Plum Island book signing—Author Ruth Ann Bramson hosted a book signing for her upcoming book “A World Unto Itself: The Remarkable History of Plum Island” at Brecknock Hall in Greenport, NY, on Sunday.